Back in November 2009, DreamWorks Studios and Doubleday acquired the rights to Daniel H. Wilson’s unpublished manuscript, “Robopocalypse.” Dreamworks immediately put the film into development, though it wasn’t until March 2010 that Drew Goddard (Cloverfield screenwriter and The Cabin in the Woods helmer) was brought on to adapt the story into a screenplay and speculation began brewing as to whether Dreamworks head honcho Steven Spielberg would direct. Well, wonder no more.
Today it was announced Spielberg has commit to directing Robopocalypse as his next feature with shooting expected to begin in January 2012 for a 2013 release through Touchstone Pictures.
The book of which the film is based is currently slated for a June 7, 2011 release (Amazon is accepting preorders) and is described as exploring the fate of the human race following a robot uprising. Based on the book’s artwork I can’t help but think of I, Robot and based on the premise I can’t help but think of The Matrix.
While 2012 may seem like a ways off, you have to remember Spielberg already has two films set for upcoming release. The first is The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn which is set for a December 23, 2011 release and will be followed only five days later by Spielberg’s War Horse releasing on December 28.
In the meantime he’ll be kept busy working as producer on Transformers: The Dark of the Moon, Super 8 and Men in Black III, which is to say he’s got plenty to do. I would also suspect this announcement almost kills any chance of the oft-rumored Indiana Jones 5, which will likely have several breathing a sigh of relief.
